Day 5 - Scene 9
The forest opened up and the path disappeared into a sunlit patch of grass. Beyond the grass lay a strip of rough sand – the beach – and beyond that, water. On both sides of the beach, smooth, round, cliffs reached out into the water, creating a small, natural, harbor. From where he stood, in the middle of the grass, the cliffs and the trees blocked out any view of the gardens or the island with the shrine. You'd probably have to swim all the way out into the lake to see them. A hidden beach. No one could see him here – just him and the lake and the forest. He could just strip off everything and run out into the water, splashing and screaming, and no one would notice or care. He could. He just might. Off to the side, at the edge of the forest, lay an old rowing boat. Overturned, and partially covered by a tarp, the grass grew tall around it. Enar walked over and looked in under it. One lone oar lay half hidden in a thick layer of dirt and old pine needles. A small hedgehog stared at him for a moment before it skittered off into the darkness further in under the boat. Of the other oar he saw no trace. There would be no rowing today. Enar stood back up, sighed, and turned towards the beach. A smile spread on his face as he looked out over the water; blue and gold in the afternoon sun and with the forest – green and full of mysteries – far away on the other side of the lake. He'd go swimming in that lake, in that forest, among those hills and their secrets – right now. With a spring in his step he strode across the grass, unbuttoning his shirt as he went. When he reached the sand he tore the shirt off completely and threw it on the ground with a shout. “Ha!” He unbuckled his belt and pulled it open so fast it cracked like a whip. “Ha!” Grinning to himself he unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them off, one leg at a time. “Tadaa!” He threw the jeans away, as far as he could, back the way he'd come from, somewhere else. He didn't care. Raising his arms in the air he let his head fall back and for a moment he just stood there, letting the sun warm his bare chest, his unshaven face and his big, round belly. He should get in the water. Before she showed up. Enar looked around, but no one was there to see him – except, perhaps, the hedgehog, and he could live with that. Who cared what hedgehogs thought anyway? Let's do this. He took two steps towards the water and stopped dead in his tracks. Would he use his underpants as swim trunks, or would he go in naked? He felt his cheeks grow beet red and a heavy lump appeared in his stomach. How long would it be before she arrived? He couldn't walk all that way home in wet underwear. He'd catch a cold, and a rash, or worse. On the other hand, he couldn't well go skinny dipping with Amanda around. Or could he? She seemed a modern woman. She'd been around. Surely she was no prude. He was not a prude. He had nothing to be ashamed of, apart from being a little overweight maybe – respectable, as she'd said. He smiled at that. No way he'd pull his jeans on over wet underpants. That'd be so uncomfortable, and it'd look like he'd wet himself. How long would it take for his underwear to dry if he stood in the sun? Too long? She'd think him silly – and a prude. He could do it, couldn't he? Naked was natural. He was a free spirit; free of old prejudices and comfortable with who he was, right? If he was quick he'd be well into the water before she got there anyway. Enar stood absolutely still and listened. A lazy breeze hummed through the tree tops. A lone bird twittered somewhere in the forest nearby and under the old boat the hedgehog coughed and sniffled as it went about its own business. Keeping an eye on the path he'd come from he tiptoed back to where his shirt lay, right where he'd thrown it. Hunkering down on his haunches he peered up into the forest, trying his best to detect any motion, but the forest lay still and empty. No one around. Now or never. Enar closed his eyes. He drew in a deep breath and clenched his fists. That hedgehog had better not be watching right now. As he breathed out, he opened his eyes, ripped off his underpants, stuffed them under the shirt, and sprinted out into the lake. As the water reached his knees his run slowed to a walk and he threw himself forward. It was much colder than he'd expected. Enar pushed away from the bottom with his arms, twisted around and sat up in the water, gasping for air after the chill of the lake. He stared up at the forest, at the path in among the trees, but she wasn't there. Relieved, and perhaps a little bit disappointed, he sat for a moment and caught his breath. How could it be so cold? It had seemed nice earlier, when he dipped his feet. Maybe it was just warmer at the surface. He shivered and hugged himself. There was nothing for it. He was in now and he needed to get out further. He couldn't be sitting here just at the water's edge like some kid splashing around in the shallows. Despite, the sand was much too coarse to make for good castles anyway. He clenched his teeth against the cold and shuffled backwards, into deeper water, until he could stand up with water well above his waist. Still no Amanda. Enar turned around, facing the mouth of the little harbor and the lake beyond. Here goes. He pushed off from the bottom and struck out, one long stroke after another. He swum. In a hidden lagoon, in a secret lake in a magical forest – sort of. He couldn't see the bottom through the murky water anymore, but when he reached down with his toes he found it; a thick, soft, mud, littered with twigs and branches. He might need a shower after this. Oh, well – when he got home. That would be tomorrow evening, pretty late. Enar sighed to himself. He'd have to leave soon, and go back to the real world; to his job and his duties and all the things he had to do. Cramming his eyes shut he shook his head to clear those thoughts away. Not just yet. He still had this last day left, and who knew what that would bring? He turned back towards the beach just in time to see Amanda appearing out of the forest, a basket on her arm. Enar raised his hand to wave and after a moment she spotted him and waved back. --- Continued in Day 5 - Scene 10. Back to Enar's Vacation.